For the second straight stage production, two Lawrence University actors have earned invitations to the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship Competition as part of the annual American College Theatre Festival.
Devin Scheef, a junior from Racine, and Nick Endres, a junior from Sun Prairie, were selected for Ryan Competition based on their recent performances in Lawrence’s production of Carlo Goldoni’s “Il Campiello,” an 18th-century comedy set in Venice that looks at life and love in a small neighborhood.
In the four-show production staged Feb. 19-22, Scheef played the role of Fabrizio, a crotchety Neapolitan trying to marry off his niece. Endres portrayed Anzoletto, a jealous peddler.
Scheef and Endres will be among 200 student actors participating in the five-state regional competition next January at Illinois State University in Normal, Ill. Participants in the regional acting audition vie for two $500 scholarships and the chance to advance to the ACTF’s national auditions at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., next spring.
In addition to Scheef and Endres for their acting roles, Jessica Whitehead, a junior from Burlington who served as stage manager for “Il Campiello,” was nominated to stage manage for the 10-minute play festival at next years regional competition.
Earlier this year, senior Brendan Marshall-Rashid and sophomore Matt Murphy represented Lawrence at the 2004 Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship Competition for their roles in last fall’s production of Shakespeare’s
“A Winter’s Tale.”
The ACTF was founded in 1969 to recognize and celebrate the finest and most exciting work produced in college theatre programs and provide opportunities for participants to develop their theatre skills. Conducted since 1972, the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship was established in the will of the late actress, best known for her role as the lovable and feisty ‘Granny Clampett’ on the TV hit show “The Beverly Hillbillies.”
